Robin's Best 'Holy' Sayings

One of the greatest things about the classic Batman series, aside from Bruce Wayne's fashionable array of sweaters and the Joker's grease painted moustache, was Robin's penchant for exclaiming 'Holy --somewhat relevant word--' in response to, well, just about everything. According to Holy Smokes Batman, the sadly defunct archive of the sayings, Robin used the catchphrase no less than 359 times over 120 episodes.

Here are 10 of my personal favourites!

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S03:E23 'I'll Be A Mummy's Uncle'. King Tut purchases a plot of land adjacent to Wayne Manor with the aim of drilling for the supposedly unbreakable Nilanium. Thankfully Tut is restored to his true self - mild mannered Yale Professor, William Omaha McElroy - while his gang has their memories erased by Batnesia gas.

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S01:E26 'Batman Sets The Pace'. Batman and Robin escape from the Joker's makeshift prison and track him down to his hideout. The Joker doesn't stand a chance against the Caped Crusader and his shapely calved sidekick!

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S01:E09 'Zelda The Great'. Zelda, AKA The Bank Bandit, robs $100,000 every April Fools Day. This year she kidnaps Aunt Harriet into the bargain. If only Batman hadn't stole her heart she might have gotten away with it too...

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S03:E24 'The Joker's Flying Saucer'. Ruling Gotham is child's play - the Joker has ambitions to rule the universe! Can Batman and Robin measure up?

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S03:E15 'The Ogg Couple'. Olga, Queen of the Bessarovian Cossacks, teamed up with Egghead to steal the the Sword of Bulbul and the Egg of Ogg from Gotham City Museum. Poor Robin was just done with the whole escapade.

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S01:E28 'The Pharaoh's In A Rut'. King Tut captures Batman - cue Robin to the rescue! After Alfred drives the underage young master to the scene of the crime.

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S02:E52 'Batman's Satisfaction'. The Dynamic Duo get their very own crossover with Kato and the Green Hornet when the fate of a stamp factory is on the line.

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S03:E11 'The Londinium Larcenies'. Batman and Robin accompany Commissioner Gordon to Londinium in the old country, where Lord Marmaduke Ffogg and Lady Penelope Peasoup have been getting up to all kinds of rapscallionry - like stealing Her Majesty's priceless snuffboxes!

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S03:E12 'The Foggiest Notion'. Lord Marmaduke Ffogg and Lady Penelope Peasoup are plotting to take over the Londinium fashion world by stealing a shipment of mod clothing material. If they get their dastardly way perhaps Robin's will no longer be the only legs on display?

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S03:E03 'The Wail Of The Siren'. Loreli Circe, AKA The Siren, starts hypnotizing men with the power of her voice. What will the Boy Wonder do when Bruce Wayne falls under her spell?

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What I'm Listening To In April

My Top Ten tracks of the month! I've been mostly listening to dance and synth this month. I blame the few moments of sun we had...

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Sun Is Shining - Axwell Λ Ingrosso (2015)

Made up of two members of Swedish House Mafia, Axwell Λ Ingrosso debuted in 2014. So far they have released only one album, More Than You Know, in 2017 - but have had a steady stream of singles. 2015's Sun Is Shining was a #1 hit in Sweden and made the top ten across much of Scandinavia. The track is really uplifting and, in terms of sound, made me think of Norwegian synthband donkeyboy. I've had it on repeat endlessly!

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London - DJ Antoine & Timati ft. Grigory Leps (2016)

Grigory Leps', one of Russia's highest earning musicians, growling vocals really make this track, though Timati manages to get in a few pertinent digs about the power of the ruble in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea! DJ Antoine brings it all together - and, I've gotta say, looks mighty fine while doing so.

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Everybody - Mike Candys ft. Evelyn & Tony T (2013)

Mike Candys is a Swiss DJ who has never had a UK hit despite making the European club charts a few times. This track reached its highest chart position in his native Switzerland, where it peaked at #11.

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Ma Baker - Boney M (1977)

We had a karaoke afternoon a while back and Ma Baker lodged itself firmly in my brain. It peaked at #2 in the UK and hit the top spot across most of Europe, for all that it only ever made it to #96 in the USA. I'm a big fan of Boney M in general - though it's kind of amazing to think now that a band would openly admit to one member doing all the vocals, because the girls' real job was to stand around and look pretty!

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Fast Car - Tracy Chapman [Lucas Türschmann Remix] (2013)

Nice summer remix of one of my all time favourite songs.

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El Paradiso - DJ Antoine ft. Armando & Jimmi The Dealer (2018)

Half for the track, half for DJ Antoine's strangely hypnotic metallic ski wear.

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My Life Is A Party - ItaloBrothers (2012)

German dance project ItaloBrothers released My Life Is A Party - a cover of O-Zone's 2004 worldwide smash hit Dragostea Din Tei - in summer 2012. My Life Is A Party didn't do quite as well, peaking at #43 in Germany and #18 in Austria. I love it though. Not least because back in the day O-Zone were one of my favourite pop bands, responsible for first inspiring me to go looking beyond the UK charts for music to listen to. Without them I'd probably be stuck listening to ballads from X-Factor or something.

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Save Tonight - Eagle Eye Cherry [EigenARTig Deepest Love Remix] (2014)

Another easy listening summer remix.

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Ma Chérie - DJ Antoine ft. The Beat Shakers (2011)

Yet more DJ Antoine. ♡

Ma Chérie featured Serbian DJ duo The Beat Shakers and vocals by Swiss singer-songwriter, Maurizio Pozzi. It was a top ten hit across swathes of Europe in 2012, hitting the top spot in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The video, with heavy product placement for Skyy Vodka, has games of spin the bottle freezing time when the girls DJ Antoine lands on are deemed to be a poor match in terms of compatibility. ...I was kind of waiting for it to pick a guy out for him to be honest.

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Okay, so not a single song, but I saw this - S06:E05 Cherubim and Seraphim from 1992 - episode of Inspector Morse the other day which is just full of acid house. If it were trying to win over the sensibilities of the Sunday evening TV audience. I kind of wish there was a soundtrack album; it's like the pseudo-rave you never knew you needed for when you're relaxing with a cup of Horlicks. It was all produced by regular Morse composer Barrington Pheloung, with heavy sampling of classical and opera pieces, and helped the episode tap into the fears stirred up in the UK by the Second Summer of Love.

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Mini Mart: MforMiniatures

Supplier: MforMiniatures
Website: Etsy Shop - Ebay Store.

Products: 1/12 doll house furniture and accessories, along with a few items in1/6 scale. Like the ones that caught my attention - miniature condoms! Size is no excuse, after all, when it comes to the importance of safe sex. ;)



Post and Packing: Starts at £3.44 (Canada to the UK), with no automatic multiple item discount. Once your order has been posted however the seller will refund you the difference to the actual postage amount. My order was well packaged and arrived within the week.




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This Week - April 22nd 2018

It's been a sad week - my granddad died on Tuesday and even though we all knew it was coming it's still a hard thing to come to terms with. He was such a big influence on my life and it's awful to think that I'm never going to see him again.

But, for the rest of us, life has to go on. I had Mayoral engagements every day this week, and a Full Council meeting to chair on Tuesday morning. (You can watch the webcast HERE.) Council agreed to create a 'presiding officer' role to replace the Mayor who will come from the pool of people already on an extra allowance - i.e. the new chairperson of Council will have to be one of the scrutiny committee chairs. I think it will be a bit bumpy next year as we work out which events should continue to receive support, but hopefully the teething pains won't last too long.

On Wednesday we went to a floral demonstration with national demonstrator Susan Philips at the Congress Theatre in Cwmbran, organised by the Pontypool Floral Art Society. I know nothing about flower arranging and didn't even know demonstrations were a thing that existed. It was so interesting though; I learned loads and the finished arrangements were so beautiful! Marianna had to come with us and was mostly really well behaved, but she started to get antsy towards the end and crawled about the floor under my seat.

To be fair to her, she had just completed her very first full day at nursery! She started 'Rising Threes' on Tuesday, which she will go to every weekday afternoon now until the end of summer term. We had the option of paying for her to continue to go to playgroup in the morning which I wasn't overly keen on - I worry that it's too much for her at this age, and I'm also a massive cheapskate. But, Anthony got his own way and we're paying for her to go Wednesday mornings. She takes a packed lunch and then goes on to nursery in the afternoon, so she was tired by the time she finished but she seemed to enjoy it just fine.

I had a meeting of the Mic Morris Trust (a great little charity which supports young sportspeople to buy equipment and pay for training, etc) on Thursday. The Mayor has always chaired the Trust meetings thanks to a quirk of history, so it was kind of sad to know that link is broken now. On Friday we went to the Pontypool Community Council annual dinner - the original date was cancelled due to the snow, so the menu was a little out of season. The food was still gorgeous though, and we had a really nice evening catching up with everyone.

Yesterday we went to the induction of the Reverend Branwen Rees as the new URC (United Reformed Church) East Wales Regional Minister at Pontnewynydd. The service was lovely - really uplifting - but Marianna didn't even make it through the doors. Instead she and Anthony stayed out in the sun in 'Jesus' Garden' so she could finish having a sulk!



I reviewed some cute gaming miniatures from Spain on Monday and a toy storage basket from Room To Grow on Thursday. On Wednesday I finally posted my epic guide to GCPD Miniatures. I've been collating stuff on police miniatures in general for a while now, and splitting it by country (and department for the USA) seems the most sensible way to go about it.

I also did the 30 Days of Food tag challenge on Friday, and posted about Healthy Movie Night Snacks on Tuesday. Yesterday I posted a wishlist of super cute kids' clothing from Fashion World.






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Life Made More - Spring with Fashion World

For a few brief moments this afternoon the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and I could almost imagine this endless winter to be finally over. It made me start thinking about the kind of shoes and clothing I can't wait to see Marianna in this year, without the gloves, coat and scarf!

I've been checking out the gorgeous kids range over at Fashion World and loving the fresh styles and bright colours. Just look at this beautiful Monsoon ladybird print dress - it's fit for a princess. (Or, at the very least, a three year old who thinks she's a princess.)


In fact, the range includes so many pretty dresses that even the most exacting budding fashionista is sure to be spoiled for choice. Here are a few more of my favourites:


First up is the Monsoon Corelia 2 in 1 Dress (£30), with sequin detailing on the neckline and the mermaid tails! I love the full skirt, and how the striped bodice adds to the kind of nautical air which is fitting for a would be mermaid. Next we have the Monsoon Evelyn Unicorn Dress (£26). Again, the dress is a lovely shape, and next to mermaids unicorns are Marianna's favourite mythical creature. :)

My final dress pick is the Monsoon Fruity Frill Dress (£26). The colours in this are so pretty together, and it will be perfect as the weather - hopefully! - continues to get warmer and we move from Spring into Summer.


Of course, no outfit is complete without a fabulous pair of shoes. My favourites are the blue patent Start Rite Sunflower (£40), pictured on the left. T-bars are the cutest shoes for little girls, in my opinion, and the delicate colour is just perfect for Spring. Marianna, wanting to be involved in what I was doing, decided that the pair on the right - the Sparkle Club Pink Sparkly Low Heeled Shoes With a Pink Bow (£24) - were the most beautiful princess shoes she had ever seen. Who can argue with that?


Fashion World also sell a great range of toys for outdoor play - and indoor too for when the British weather just can't help reverting to type! Here we have a Ring Toss game (£16), Little Tikes kid active pop up play set (£30), Paw Patrol Marshall Bubble Machine (£15), Fairy Watering Can and Bean Pots (£25), and the very spring looking Bush Baby World Princess Blossom (£20) and a Hatchimals Colleggtibles Secret Scene Playset (£25).


Which item is your favourite?

* This is a collaborative Post. *

30 Days of Food

30 days of food blogging challenge, adapted from A To Za'atar.

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#01. Your Favourite Food

Bread and butter.

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#02. Your Favourite Restaurant

I'm not a big foodie or anything, so I don't really have a favourite restaurant. I'd sooner call in the local chippie!

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#03. What's In Your Fridge?

Not a lot. Shopping day is almost here again...

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#04. Your Favourite Chef

Fanny Craddock, obviously.

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#05. Your Favourite Meal From Mum

Porridge. Nothing makes me nostalgic like porridge, and nobody makes porridge like my Mum. ♡

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#06. Favourite Condiment

Salad cream.

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#07. Your Favourite Cook Book

I'm a big fan of retro kids' cook books. Just check out these bad boys! :)

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#08. Favourite Snack

Crisps! I never met a crisp I didn't like enough not to eat it...

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#09. Most Exotic Food You've Tried

I'm not very adventurous... Maybe goat or something?

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#10. Favourite Starter

Has to be prawn cocktail. They knew how to live it up in the 1970s.

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#11. Favourite Main Course

You can't go wrong with some kind of mix of cheese and pasta.

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#12. Favourite Dessert

Ice cream - especially the whippy kind. Spinkles and sauce are a definite plus.

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#13. Restaurant You're Desperate to Try

Not a restaurant as such, but I'd love to try an Ice Bar.

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#14. Favourite Food TV Show

Does Rosemary and Thyme count?

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#15. What Are You Best At Cooking?

Toast, though Anthony says I burn it because he believes toast should be slightly warm bread rather than toasted bread. *sigh*

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#16. Dine In or Take Away?

It's nice to go out sometimes, but nothing beats the comforts of home! I mean, you've gotta wear shoes and everything at a restaurant.

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#17. Best Hangover Food

Crispy bacon sandwiches. :)

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#18. Favourite Drink

Ribena, tea, and strawberry milkshake.

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#19. Lunch: Make It or Buy It?

In an ideal Pinterest world I'd love making it, complete with cutesy little labels and a pretty lunchbox. In reality I like to pop into Tesco for a sandwich meal deal...

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#20. Favourite Food Blog

I don't really follow any in particular.

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#21. Where Do You Do Your Food Shopping?

Aldi mostly, supplemented by Morrisons because it's the closest supermarket to us.

(I say this like Aldi itself isn't a fifteen minute walk away... We're spoiled for choice with six major supermarkets in walking distance of our house.)

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#22. Favourite Fruit

Kiwi.

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#23. Favourite Soup

Tomato. To be honest, it's the only soup I really like.

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#24. Sweet or Savoury?

I like sweets, don't get me wrong, but savoury is better in my opinion.

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#25. Favourite Vegetable

Carrots.

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#26. Favourite Fast Food Restaurant

McDonalds, for sure.

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#27. Your Favourite Food Memory

Making yorkshire puddings with my Nan for Sunday dinners. They didn't resemble any yorkshire pudding you've ever eaten though. My Nan made them really thick, kind of like cake. If there was any left over we sometimes cut them in half and had jam in the middle like a Victoria Sponge!

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#28. What's In Your Freezer?

Slightly more than is in the fridge, but that's not saying much. I spied some ice cream, a chicken and mushroom pie, and some chicken nuggets.

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#29. Favourite Breakfast Food

I don't usually eat breakfast, much as I should, but I'd love to live the life of American TV and eat pancakes with syrup every morning.

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#30 Your Favourite Seasonal Food

Seeing as I literally just talked about my love of pancakes, I'll go with mince pies instead. I can happily eat one every day from the moment they hit shops. (In, like, October.)

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